Replacing pallets from a stack of products such as cases of beer, cans, crated produce, and other such items is a common occurrence during the manufacturing, distribution, and shipment of goods. For example, a manufacturing facility using plastic pallets to stack finished product may wish to transfer the product to more economical wooden pallets prior to shipping. Likewise, a production facility receiving the product, such as fresh produce, shipped on a wooden pallet may want to transfer the product to more hygienic plastic or metal pallets prior to introducing the product into the production facility.
Replacing pallets from a stack of products can be performed manually by re-stacking the product (a pallet load) on another pallet. This procedure, however is time consuming and ergonomically inefficient and difficult.
Although not strictly a pallet exchanger, another example apparatus that may be used to exchange pallets is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,045,324 (Stacking Clamp) of which the inventor is Redman. This apparatus is configured to stack selected layers of product on a pallet by placing a pallet load in the apparatus using a forklift truck, clamping the selected layers of product, removing the remaining pallet load, then placing a successive pallet load of different product in the apparatus and raising the pallet load to the lowermost surface of the previous clamped layer which is then released. A skilled person would understand that the entire pallet load could be clamped allowing for the pallet to be replaced using a forklift truck.
In another example apparatus, a stationary pallet exchanger as disclosed by Baust Materialflusssysteme's Pallet Exchanger Model Number PW 500 holds the pallet load in place using a side-clamping mechanism so that the pallet can be exchanged using a hand-operated pallet jack.
Problems associated with the above apparatuses include, for example, cost, complexity, lack of safety equipment, ability to handle a tall pallet load, and the inability to handle loads of different configurations.